“I’m all for doing anything I can to elevate this city,” White said. “I think the potential is here. I’ve had a gallery for years, and every cycle of my leases, I think: ‘I don’t know if I want to keep a gallery; I’ll just be a private dealer.’ But I continue to do it because I see little flickers of hope for San Diego. I’m hoping this is going to be a boost for awareness and public support of the arts in San Diego.”

James Chute is classical music and art critic for the Union-Tribune; (619) 293-1290; jim.chute@uniontrib.com; Twitter: @sdutchute